Ayurveda For These Drying Times

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Misty L. Trepke

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These Drying Times

Ayurveda offers simple solutions for hair and skin ailments that

strike during winter

By Jeanne Ricci

 

http://www.yogajournal.com/health/1070_1.cfm?ctsrc=nlv130

 

After a hot, sticky summer, you'd think those of us with oily kapha

skin would welcome an Arctic blast. But the coldness, dryness, and

windiness of the vata season (November to February) combined with

indoor heat can wreak havoc on all skin types. Some find their skin

itching and flaking, while others find that persistent conditions

like dandruff, eczema, and psoriasis grow worse. If you are one of

those people, check out these soothing Ayurvedic solutions.

 

Fight the flakes. Begin by drinking tea brewed from coriander,

bringraj, or dashamula (which can be found at Ayurvedic and Indian

stores) to balance the doshas, says Cynthia Copple, director of the

Lotus Holistic Health Institute in Capitola, California. Coriander

and bringraj have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties,

which can help fight dandruff flare-ups. Dashamula is called the

aspirin of Ayurveda; it comes in a tea made from 10 different roots.

You can make coriander tea by combining one cup of hot water with one

teaspoon of coriander.

 

Copple also recommends shampooing your hair with an infusion of the

herb amala. Add two cups of boiling water to one tablespoon of amala.

Let the mixture cool, then strain it through a paper coffee filter.

Massage the infusion into your scalp, then rinse. This is best for

brown or black tresses, because amala can darken hair color.

 

Blondes can try this treatment from Pratima Raichur, author of

Absolute Beauty (HarperPerennial, 1997): Mix one egg yolk with

one-half teaspoon of lemon juice plus two drops of camphor tincture

(an anti-inflammatory antiseptic). Apply to your scalp, leave on for

10 minutes, then rinse out with lukewarm water.

 

Double trouble: psoriasis and eczema. People who suffer from

psoriasis (silvery flakes on the scalp or body) and eczema (dry,

scaly patches around the joints) often have erratic eating patterns,

delaying or often skipping meals. This aggravates the digestive fire,

which can result in skin problems, says Copple. Eat at regular

intervals and consume easy-to-digest foods, such as basmati rice,

soup, mung beans, and nonacidic cooked vegetables. Use spices like

cumin, turmeric, and coriander, which help balance the doshas. You

can also try a digestive tea made of one-quarter teaspoon each of

coriander, turmeric, and red sandalwood combined with one-eighth

teaspoon of cumin and one cup of hot water.

 

For eczema, you can use a paste of one teaspoon of sandalwood, one

teaspoon of turmeric, and just enough water to make the paste

spreadable.

Apply it to the affected area and leave it on for 20 minutes, then

rinse it off with cool water.

 

December 2003

 

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